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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · wind · dip · bat · can · cabinet · saw · pitch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bat — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wax — to grow
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com